Living Spirits
by Splash Fate
Summary: Some spirits just don't die. This is the story of one of them.
1. Dead or Alive?

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that are in Newsies but you probably already know that.

A/N: Yes I know I'm starting another fic when I didn't finish the other one. I swear I'll get back to it but I'm having problems finding it on the computer. Plus this idea would not leave me alone so I have to start it if I want to be able to sleep.   

Living Spirits Chapter 1 

Most people don't understand spirits. Most people are also scared of things they don't understand. I am not most people. My friends are, but they're a different story. The shadows, the voices; they scare them.

          I can't really remember a time that they scared me. I've lived here all my life and in all my memories I've accepted them as being there. Its not that I'm fearless because I'm not, I'm far from it. The way I saw it was they had their unresolved problems and it seemed my house was were it all happened. So knowing that, I let them go about their problems while I lived my life. I guess other people just couldn't accept that.

          There were a couple spirits that wondered the house. One was an older man. He seemed like the angriest one out of all of them. He never came out as much as the others. Then there were two boys. The one gave me the impression of being daring and brave, someone who demanded respect. Respect that he didn't seem to receive from the man. The second was upset; you can tell he was crying by the sound in his voice. The last spirit was of a girl. She was very scared and also crying. And her voice, I had heard it before but was never able to place where.

          I always wondered about their story. I knew the ending that they relived almost every night but I never understood it. It was like turning on your TV and catching the last 20 minutes of a complex movie. You don't understand why anything is happening but you can still see what's going on.

          It wasn't until one night when one of my friends decided to come over my house that I learned what actually happened.

**º~/\~º~\/~º~/\~º~\/~º~/\~º**

          "Hey Hayley, do you know that one kid, Travis?" I laughed as my friend Anya rushed into my house, mind filled with images of some guy. Typical. I shut the door and walked over finding she was still talking to me about the ever-so-perfect guy. "...don't you have one?" 

'_Have what? Ok at least it's a yes or no question; 50/50 chance of getting this right.' _"Umm...yeah sure." Anya smiled and jumped off the couch in a hurry. "I love you! So where do you keep your pictures." 

So that was what she was after, a picture of Travis. I should've guessed as much. Luckily I answered the previous question right. "They're down in the basement. Come on, I'll find them." I sighed and shook my head as I walked down the steps Anya close behind.

I started looking through boxes when I heard a loud thud. I turned to see that Anya fell flat on her face. A grin instantaneously appeared on my face. "Well it seems the trip down here wasn't all a waste." As I kept on looking in boxes, Anya started flipping out. "You should fix these loose floorboards before you throw down a fricken carpet." I walked over getting annoyed quickly. My basement is so dreary and I hate being down there more than I have to.

"You act like I actually lifted up the carpet and inspected the floorboards." I turned my attention to the floor, which seemed to have a couple unfastened boards with a star neatly painted across them. _'Weird.' _

"Hurt who?" I looked at my friend a little confused. "You didn't say anything did you." I shook my head, still just a bit confused about what was going on. "I could've sworn you asked me not to hurt this one guy."

It made sense now. "Nope. Wasn't me. That would be the ever-so-famous ghosts of the Faight household."  She stared at me blankly; her face was an unusual pale color. I was generally used to this reaction from people. "You can wait upstairs, I'll try and find the picture." She nodded and then looked at her watch. "You know what, umm I should probably go. Can you bring it to school tomorrow?"

As she waved goodbye and walked out the door, I went back to investigating the boards. "You'll be fine jus' wait heah." I recognized the voice as the one boy. He had started crying. I moved the loose wood off to the side and revealed a hidden room. "I don't wanna leave you'se up der by yourself!" It was the girl. She was also crying. 

I jumped down into the open space beneath the basement floor. A shiver went down my spine. This place was freezing. My eyes wondered around the room. I'm not sure you could even call it a room. It was a more of a 6ft x 6ft hole in the ground. 

I heard the ghosts above me fighting as they always did. Then I heard something new. It was the girl and she was speaking in such a way that it was almost inaudible. Then she spoke a bit louder. _'You have to break the cycle. Please.' _I expected to soon hear her go up and fight a losing battle against the man as she had every other time, but she didn't. 

It was then that I noticed the board. The once light brown wood with the white star was now blood red and swinging straight at me. I had to time to react. I just stood there while it came hurling at my head and knocked me out cold. 

My head hurt so much. I felt my body being lifted up and carried out of the room. "Poor goil. I'se jus' found 'er down der." It was the boy and he was talking to someone I didn't know. The spirit was carrying me. "We should probably take 'er back to da lodging house an' make shoah she's ok."

Lodging House? The only time I've ever heard that used was in Newsies. I was confused but too weak to think about it. I just rested in his arms as he carried me back to the lodging house or whatever it was.   

A/N: Ok I know it really hasn't gotten into any Newsies characters yet. But the next chapter will. Please though, leave some reviews tell me what you think. 


	2. One Spirit Revealed

Disclaimer: Same old same old.

A/N: I'm sorry if this is confuzzling at times. My writing can sometimes be like that. I just got the idea and had to write it so...yeah lol.

Thanx **lexibear**, **falco**, **Sparks**, and **MQ** for the reviews!!!! (Sorry I'm being lazy and not writing out longer shout-outs. SORRY!!! Next time I promise lol)

Living Spirits Chapter 2 

          I could feel my brain throbbing, almost as if it were about to pound out of my skull. I opened my eyes to find I was in a bunkroom. It was exactly like the one I memorized in Newsies. It was about as messy as the one in Newsies too.

          "'Ey she's up!" There was that boy again. I turned my head to the voice, making the pain surge ten times faster through my nerves, but I didn't care. I would finally put a face to the voice. My jaw dropped in that very same moment. It was Specs. "Are you'se ok?" I laid there speechless with my jaw dropped open as far as it could possibly be. I finally regained my senses and nodded. 

          It must have been obvious that I was shocked because he just grinned and laughed. "You'se got hit pretty bad, we didn't know when you'se gonna wake up." I was just standing there in that hole and then I woke up back in time somewhere. I couldn't figure it out and something inside of me didn't want to. I figured I'd just enjoy it while I was there.

           "Whad happened?" I paused for a moment. _'Did I just say whad? Now I'm talking like them too. This is weird.' _Specs looked at me strangely, like he was trying to figure out what was wrong with me. "You'se don't remembah? Boy Splash, I don't know about you'se." He shook his head. _'Splash. I'm known as Splash? This will take some getting used to.'_

"Well dat guy from you'se past was lookin' fer you. You'se know da one you never wanna tell us about." Considering I didn't even know who I was supposed to be, this helped me out immensely. I sighed when Specs started explaining again. 

"An' we saw 'im chasin' you. You went to dat abandoned house we'se all hide in when we'se gettin' chased by da bulls. 'E saw you crawl in da hidin' spot undah da floorboards an' hit you wid one. Me an' Skittery scared 'im off an' carried you heah." I turned my head to the other side to see Skittery sitting down on his bunk.

I sat up trying to ignore the pain rushing throughout my body. I started to get up when Skittery joined in the conversation. "You'se can have your old bunk back. We'se made shoah nobody took it in case you'se came back." 

I walked over to where he was heading. Almost going past where he stopped, I realized where my bunk must have been. I hugged him and whispered 'thanks'. On the bunk was a box of little trinkets, which I assumed belonged to Splash. There were two shiny pink hairclips that stood out above the rest. They had to be the brightest most awful looking things I ever saw. Then again I never was a pink person. As I was picking them up, a shock went jolting inside my body. My mind blanked and I began to feel dizzy. 

"Oh I love dem" The girls' voice rang inside my head. You could tell she wasn't very sincere about the answer. _'Why am I hearing her spirit again?' _"I'se gonna wear dem always."

Specs walked over and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Are you'se ok?" My mind drifted back to reality and I nodded. 

After a few awkward moments, I walked over to a mirror close to the washroom. The image staring back at me was the same as always except my clothing. I had a blue green button up shirt on with black colored pants. "I'se jus' overly happy about findin' dese clips in me box of stuff." As I said that, I put the shiny pink catastrophes in my hair._ 'This Splash girl has no taste.'_

**º~/\~º~\/~º~/\~º~\/~º~/\~º**

It wasn't long before the rest of the newsies started popping back into the lodging house. Most of them greeted me with a warm 'Hiya' and others with a spit shake. It was at this point that I was glad I wasn't one of those stuck up girly girls that wonder around my school so much.

The increase in newsies also made an increase of heat in the bunk area. I rolled up my sleeves in a last attempt to stay cool.

It was then that a younger newsies I hadn't seen in the movie came up to me. 'Hiya, I'se Glimmer." I looked at him as if trying to pretend I had known him. It wasn't a mystery how he got his name. His dark blue eyes seemed to glimmer with a certain amount of trouble. He pushed his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes, and realized I was clueless as to who he may be.

"I'se came when you'se was out da past week." I smiled appreciating that I had gotten out of that this easy. "Hiya."

I wondered why he hadn't left already when he blurted out another question. "How'd you'se get da scar on your arm." I looked over at my right arm. I had always had a light scar on that arm from as far back as I can remember. When I looked at it this time, it had gotten worse. Almost like it had just recently happened.

Seeing as I couldn't just leave this little kid standing there without answering him, I searched my mind and came up with a plausible answer. "I'se was swimmin' one day an' dis bull shark came up an' bit me arm. I'se jus' started splashin' up a storm tryin' to get somebody ta help me. Dey's been callin' me Splash ever since."

The kid seemed content with the answer and scampered off. This gave me time to sit on my bunk and figure out how on God's green Earth I had thought of a story like that.

A/N: Sorry so short. I'll post more when I get the chance. Until then...PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I live and breathe for those things lol.   


	3. Pokah Skills'

Disclaimer: Who here thinks I own Newsies? Please don't all raise your hands at once.

**Shout Out**: (Notice the singular form of Shout Out. Come on Peoplez!!!)

**Slick** ~ Thanx Bunches!!! Yeah, the stuff you already know probably helps just a bit hehe

                                                      **Living Spirits**

                                                        **Chapter 3**

I hadn't been given a lot of time to think about the story I just made up. It was maybe five minutes when Jack came up to me.

          "Yea, it figures you'd be back fah da pokah game at Brooklyn tanight." Jack smiled when he said that, as if it were some kind of inside joke. I turned my head and whispered to myself, 'I play pokah?' I realized I said it a little bit to loud when Jack started laughing uncontrollably. "Yeah, you'se play pokah. You lose everytime, but you play." That came as a relief. At least I didn't have to fake being able to play something I've sucked at my whole life.

          It wasn't long before all of the guys started to get ready to leave. I walked over to Specs and Skittery. I just assumed they were Splash's better friends. Plus it didn't hurt that they were my favorites from the movie.

          "So you'se guys up fah some pokah?" Skittery gave me a challenging glance. "Always" He smiled as he said it. I looked over at Specs. "Oh common, you know me an' Dutchy don't play dat. We'se jus' wait fah you ta lose all yer money an' den come ovah ta tawk ta us."

          You know how girls do that real girlish giggle and act all stupid. Yeah, I did that. I didn't know why I did that, I'm ashamed of that, I made fun of people for doing that, but that's what I did.

          It was a long walk to Brooklyn. The main reason was Race. I couldn't even count how many times I felt like punching him for bragging about his 'pokah skills'. That was the one moment when I wished I actually paid attention when people played cards around me, just so I could stop his mouth. 

          When we finally arrived, the place was already packed. My group broke off going to one table or another to play cards. I watched for a while considering my options. _'I could play and waste most of my money. Or I could just sit and talk with Specs and Dutchy. But is that what Splash would do?'_

I stood there silent for a few moments when somebody pushed me from behind. "Common, you'se jus gonna stand dere all night. Ya need ta join me pokah game so I know I'se can make at least some money tanight."

          My jaw dropped when I heard the voice. The first boy whose spirit was trapped in my house. I now also recognized it as belong to the infamous Brooklyn Newsie Leader. 

          "Hiya Spot," I blurted out trying to cover up the long silence that was between us. He gave me a look that made me wonder if I was crazy as I guess I came off to be. With that he grabbed my arm and pulled me to one of the open tables.

          It was only a little while before Spot cleaned me out of all my money, which was not a hard task to accomplish. But by the way he bragged, you'd think it was a complicated thing to do. 

"So whad made you'se decided ta come back?" I searched for a way to answer while not giving away that I didn't know half of what I was saying. "I didn't really decide, umm, dat guy you know..." I paused hoping he knew who I was talking about. I certainly didn't. When he nodded his head I continued. "Well, he knocked me out cold while I was hidin' in dat hole. You'se know da one when we'se runnin' from da bulls. Specs an' Skitts found me dere an' carried me back."

          "Why won't you tell us who 'e is, othah den jus dat guy?" I responded only with one of Spot's emotionless glares that I had learned to mimic from after seeing the movie countless times. "Why won't you'se let us help?" I cast my gaze towards the end of the table away from Spot. My attention now going to the piece of paper I twirled between my fingers. "You of all people know why." 

          I didn't know why I had been so touchy with this subject. I confused me for a bit but I noticed the silence growing between us again. I didn't really want to start up another conversation like the previous one so I decided to make the conversation about him. Knowing his ego this seemed like it would be easy. "So how's it been ovah heah?"

          It was awhile before Spot realized he wasn't making much money sitting there bragging to me. He said a quick good bye and set out for a table that had card players with money to lose.

          I walked over to Specs and Dutchy. "Well look who decided ta join us." I rolled my eyes and gave Dutchy a fake punch.

          I pulled over the nearest chair and sat down next to them. "You know if I'se not wanted I'll leave."  I pulled off my best offended look and shot it at them. Dutchy obviously recognized the routine. "So you'se would actually leave?" I smiled and sat there for a minute. "No, I'd probably still sit here."

          About an hour or two later, everybody was cleaned out of money or ready to return to the lodging house. The trip back was as bad as the first; only this time Race had specific examples from the night to talk about.

          I saw Skittery walking slightly behind me and decided to join him. "Doesn't 'e evah get enough of hearin himself tawk?" Skit rolled his eyes and gave me an annoyed look. "I wish 'e would. I t'ink 'e said about how 'e beat me wid dat full house five times already."

          The night was late enough and I was already beat. I crawled into my bunk and slid under the light sheet. I turned my head slightly to see over to Specs' bunk. He looked so sweet and innocent just lying there. My eyelids then grew to heavy to hold up and I slipped into a fast sleep.  


	4. Sellin' with Dutchy

Disclaimer: Do I really need to put this here anymore? You all know I own zip.

**Shout~Outs** (Yay Plural form again!!!)

**Slick ~** The lone reviewer lol...its my review page, be as conceded as you want its all good. I'm worse than you are with my away messages lol. You don't have the only review today thou...my story got more popular hehe. And alright I came through with my end of the deal, you hafta update your story now!!! (Even though you already updated and I didn't lol) And we all know you're the only on that matters *wink wink* lol

**Falco ~** I luff Spot, Race, Skits, Dutchy, and especially Specs too. Splash, whole different story and I'm not too fond of Jack but hey I'll work with it XD

                                                           **Living Spirits**

                                                             **Chapter 4 **

My papes were resting on my shoulder. I was too busy talking to Specs to notice the person sneaking behind us. As he grabbed me and threw me to the ground, I noticed his scar. It was oddly shaped as if a blade was weaved from his nose to his ear. Soon after I saw it, Specs came to my defense. The attacker then turned his attention to him. As they were fighting I jumped back on my feet, not at all fazed from the previous fall. As I spun the man around I saw the glimmer of silver that he held in his hand. Before the straight razor blade had penetrated my skin, Specs cried out in warning.

          "Splash..." I felt the cold hand on my shoulder shaking me gently, and I instantly jumped out of bed, banging my head off of the bunk above me in the process. The room immediately broke out in laughter. Specs tried to hold his back as he asked me if I was ok. He didn't hold it back very long though.

          I rubbed my forehead trying to wake up and ease the pain at the same time. _'What a horrid dream' _I stood up beside Specs who obviously still found the situation highly amusing.

          I smacked his arm somewhat harder then I wanted to, "Why'd you hafta scare me like dat?" He acted surprised and hurt but then gave up the act and just smiled. "I'se sorry." I looked at him skeptically. "I'se sure you are."

          All the way to the Distribution Office, my friends joked about my 'smashing' time that morning. I smirked and grinned after each comment. At least it wasn't Race talking about pokah.

          When I finally reached the line of Newsies waiting for papers, I realized I didn't know how many to buy. I didn't worry too much about it though, I'd be able to pry it out of somebody by the time I reached Weasel. 

          "'Ey Mush, how many you t'ink I can sell taday?" I gave him a sly grin. I figured I'd try Mush first being he was right beside me, and because he seemed oblivious to half the things around him.

          "Aw, I dunno Splash. I'se jus stick ta da usual 60. It doesn't look like dere's a lot fer us ta improve upon taday." That's all I wanted to hear. "Thanks Mush."

          By the time I reached the counter, Weasel was visibly irritated. I decided although I might have fun, that I was just going to buy my papers and leave. I learned later that it just wasn't going to work that way.

          I slid my money over and asked for my 60 papes. No sooner were the words out of my mouth than Morris had his greasy face up against the bars. "Looky who decided ta show deir face. I'se t'ought you was gone fa good."

          I grabbed my papers in a hurry before I got even more frustrated. "You know, you should jus be glad you'se face is still recognizable. Da next time I'se fightin' you won't be as lucky." I then shot my patented Hayley death glare and walked away. _' Why did I say that? I hope Splash actually beat him up once.'     _

          As I was walking down the steps, Dutchy popped up behind me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Nice one. You'se want a sellin partnah taday?" I rolled my eyes and laughed. I turned my head just to see Specs walking off with his papers. I then turned back to Dutchy. "Sure, why not."

          We sold about half of our papers working on headlines based from our own imagination alone, when we stopped to take a break. "So why were you so jumpy dis morning?" I looked over at him hoping he was joking around but he wasn't. I sighed and came back with "Jus' a bad dream." 

          "Common Splash, I know bettah, somet'ings wrong. Wouldcha please jus tell me, I'se your best friend remembah. I'se worried about you, so is Specs. You know 'e loves you moah den anyt'ing. You jus haven't been you'se normal self fer awhile."

          _'Specs loves me? That would explain a lot.'_ I thought about it for a moment. It made sense why he had been the one to find me then. Why I had the dreams with him in them. Why I had felt I should go to him all the time. Splash must have been his girl.  

I then focused my attention back to Dutchy. I could tell this wasn't easy for him to bring up and that I couldn't avoid it as easily as I had with Spot. I took in a few deep breaths before answering. 

          "I was jumpy 'cause of a bad dream. It was about dat guy." I shuttered as I retold the dream to him. It wasn't very pleasant to go through the first time. I sat silent for a moment before I started the next part. The part I didn't know I knew. 

"See he's been afta me again. Well sorta..." I paused while I thought about how to say this. "He's not out ta get me, he's out ta get...er...somebody I know. I'se jus been stallin' him from findin' dat somebody. Now he's gettin' closer ta findin' who he's lookin' fer. I don't t'ink I can hold him off anymore."

          Dutchy looked even more confused than when I had first started. To tell the truth so was I. That might've been ok if somebody else was telling the story.

I continued telling him how Splash had walked several alleys out of the way to make sure nobody was following her anywhere. I said that she wouldn't talk to most of her friends in case she was being watched. I also talked about how she meant to disappear for a while. I guessed that when I was found was when her disappearance ended. 

I knew I wasn't making much sense to him but I didn't really know what I was trying to say either. I was just retelling the scenes that were developing in the back of my mind. I wasn't sure how they got there but I figured telling him about them might help the situation.

          "I jus didn't want any of me friends hoit, so I stopped da guy every time he came close ta findin' him. I stopped tawkin' in case he might use me othah friends ta get me out of his way."

I don't know how he managed it, but he seemed to understand what I was getting at. It was a good thing considering I could feel my eyes swelling up with tears. "I'se sorry." 

          The next I knew Dutchy was holding me and I was openly crying into his chest. I was still processing what I had said. _'Who am I protecting?'_ Dutchy continued trying to comfort me but I needed to figure everything else out for myself before I could feel better.  

          "Once he finds who he's lookin' fer, dey'll be dead an' since I know to much, so will I." 


End file.
